Abstract:
A system for cooling electronic components includes a cold plate having a channel through which a fluid coolant is transported, a plurality of bosses each receiving an electronic, optical, or other heat-generating component, and a plurality of fin structures, at least three of which are adjacently disposed in a sequential order on the cold plate. Each fin structure contacts a boss, and has a fin inlet and a fin outlet in fluid communication with a section of the channel for supplying the area around the boss with coolant and cooling the component seated on the boss. A portion of the channel defines a serpentine path for transporting the fluid coolant to the at least three sequential fin structures in a non-sequential order. Sections of the channel in the serpentine path further transport the coolant in opposite directions, thus enhancing heat transfer and temperature equilibration across the cold plate. The system can further include a plurality of such cooling plates disposed in a vertical stack, and a manifold delivering coolant to the cooling plates. When the cooling plates are stacked, the flow rate and pressure drop across each plate is substantially uniform, thus providing a cold plate having a substantially isothermal surface across a portion of the cold plate.